Do you favor or oppose the education program known as "No Child Left Behind?"

ANSWER OPTIONI do not have an opinion one way or another except we have too many kids slipping through the cracks, something has to be done, but is "No child left behind" the answer? I do not know.

Universal health care

Do you favor or oppose universal health care?

ANSWER OPTIONI oppose universal health care. I am in favor of tax incentives for individuals who get private health care.

SCHIP expansion

On October 3, 2007, President Bush vetoed a bill expanding the SCHIP program, to provide health care to 10 million more children. The program is designed to subsidize health coverage for families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Do you favor or oppose the proposed expansion?

ANSWER OPTIONI oppose it, because there were too many who were going to be pulled into the program that were not supposed to be included.

Issue

Question

Position

Stem cell research

Should federal funding be used to expand embryonic stem cell research?

ANSWER OPTIONI oppose it.

Social Security

Do you favor privatizing Social Security to any degree?

ANSWER OPTIONI am in favor of privatizing Social Security.

Immigration

What is your stance on immigration?

ANSWER OPTIONLegal immigration, fine; illegal immigration, we need to get it under control.

Issue

Question

Position

Gas tax

Would you favor an increase in the federal gasoline tax to pay for road construction projects, such as the rebuilding of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.

ANSWER OPTIONNever, we have more then enough if properly used. We have too many projects that are a lower priority and should not be considered until we get these major issues dealt with.

Same-sex marriage

Do you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman?

What do you think should be done -- if anything -- in the wake of the near collapse of companies specializing in subprime mortgages, and the foreclosures of homes?

ANSWER OPTIONWe need to be careful. I would need to spend more time on this.

Iraq War

Do you favor or oppose a set date (timeline) for the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq?

ANSWER OPTIONI oppose setting a timeline.

Issue

Question

Position

Afghanistan

What changes would you propose to the war policy in Afghanistan?

ANSWER OPTIONWe need to get Afghanistan and Pakistan on the same page.

Iran

Do you believe there should be a military option for the U.S., to prevent Iran from developing or possessing nuclear weapons?

ANSWER OPTIONIt has to be on the table, not excited about going in.

Global warming

Which camp: Global warming or climate change?

ANSWER OPTIONThere is always climate change, but there is no global warming.

Issue

Question

Position

Energy policy

What is your plan for meeting future energy needs?

ANSWER OPTIONEverything has to be on the table, we have to stop using Natural Gas to make electricity as this is the primary source for home owners who heat their homes. Clean coal technology is there and is a very inexpensive method of producing electricity. We need to look at Nuclear Power Plants as alternatives to coal and NG. As far as transportation, we are an oil based economy. We need to become independent from foreign countries. Drilling in the OCS, ANWR and North Dakota responsibly will make a huge difference.

Do you favor or oppose the education program known as "No Child Left Behind?"

ANSWER OPTIONWhile I supported the original NCLB legislation in 2001, I was very disappointed that the Bush Administration failed to adequately fund this promising education initiative, and as a result, Minnesota school districts have had to comply with the federal requirements of NCLB but without the necessary funds to do the job properly. At present, I do not support the NCLB in its current form.

Universal health care

Do you favor or oppose universal health care?

ANSWER OPTIONI firmly believe that universal access to health care is a societal responsibility and should not be linked to employment. It is clear that our current business/government patchwork system is in need of comprehensive reform. We must focus on making our health care system more efficient and utilize economies of scale to generate health care savings to improve health care and expand access for all.

SCHIP expansion

On October 3, 2007, President Bush vetoed a bill expanding the SCHIP program, to provide health care to 10 million more children. The program is designed to subsidize health coverage for families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Do you favor or oppose the proposed expansion?

ANSWER OPTIONI am greatly disappointed that President Bush vetoed the SCHIP expansion bill and that Congress was unable to override this important health care initiative.

Issue

Question

Position

Stem cell research

Should federal funding be used to expand embryonic stem cell research?

ANSWER OPTIONI strongly support significant increases in funding for medical research, but I continue to have concerns with the moral implications regarding the destruction of human embryos for medical research.

Social Security

Do you favor privatizing Social Security to any degree?

ANSWER OPTIONI strongly opposed the reckless privatization plan for Social Security that President Bush proposed in 2005 and was pleased to see that this misguided plan failed to win support with the American people and Congress. We can save Social Security without privatization.

Immigration

What is your stance on immigration?

ANSWER OPTIONOur nation has benefited greatly from the contributions of men and women who have come to America in search of freedom and an improved standard of living. One only has to look at the recent Summer Olympic contributions of U.S. athletes and coaches who were not born in America. While I support legal immigration, it is imperative for our natiion to improve our efforts to prevent illegal immigration, and I support comprehensive immigration reform to secure our border, and provide a humane resolution regarding the status of undocumented workers and their families.

Issue

Question

Position

Gas tax

Would you favor an increase in the federal gasoline tax to pay for road construction projects, such as the rebuilding of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis.

ANSWER OPTIONThe one-year commemoration of the I-35W bridge collapse is a stark reminder of the vital need to increase the investment in our nation's infrastructure. It is imperative to transform America's transportation system into a vibrant, sustainable engine of growth, underpinning and enhancing this greatest economy in the world. As chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have worked many years to advance the transportation needs of Minnesota and the nation, and next year, our committee will have a unique opportunity to write a new transportation law that will embody a new vision to meet this most challenging need.

Same-sex marriage

Do you favor or oppose a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman?

ANSWER OPTIONThe U.S. Constitution's framers felt that states, rather than the federal government, should maintain jurisdiction over most family law questions, thus the primary authority and responsibility to legislate in the domestic relations arena (which includes marriage, divorce, and child welfare) lies with the individual states. Never in our nation's history has the Constitution been amended to codify discrimination against a particular group of Americans. Since the Bill of Rights was adopted more than 200 years ago, the U.S. Constitution has been amended rarely. I believe that changing the U.S. Constitution should be approached with extreme caution and utilized only as a final option.

Abortion

Do you favor or oppose legalized abortion?

ANSWER OPTIONIt is my deeply held view that society has an obligation to ensure that each of its members, including those least able to defend themselves, the unborn, has the fullest opportunity to lead a full, healthy and productive life.

Issue

Question

Position

Capital punishment

Do you favor or oppose capital punishment?

ANSWER OPTIONConsistent with my support for the sanctity of life, I do not support capital punishment. I believe that we must have stiff penalties for those who commit violent crimes, but I do not feel the death penalty should be one of the options for either the federal government or the states. It has always been my strong belief that the government has no right to selectively take life away from one of its citizens. My feeling is that a life sentence without parole is a more just and moral punishment for convicted criminals. The State of Minnesota is a shining example of an effective criminal justice system without the death penalty.

Housing crisis

What do you think should be done -- if anything -- in the wake of the near collapse of companies specializing in subprime mortgages, and the foreclosures of homes?

ANSWER OPTIONThere is a vital national interest to help families at risk of foreclosure and to prevent additional families from losing their homes in the future. A vibrant housing sector is essential to our national economy, and I was pleased to support necessary housing legislation that will prevent future abuses in the mortgage industry, expand affordable housing loans, promote home ownership and stabilize communities impacted by the mortgage crisis.

Iraq War

Do you favor or oppose a set date (timeline) for the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq?

ANSWER OPTIONWe must proceed with the prompt and orderly redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq. We must continue the successful diplomatic work that led to the Sunni "awakening" movement against Al Qaeda and the temporary cessation of hostile action by the Shiite militias. We must continue to insist that the Iraqi government work to promote political stability and reconciliation during this critical period. For the past two years, there has been bipartisan majority support to change our flawed Iraq policy; the problem has not been congressional consensus, but rather an administration that continues to believe that this war can be won militarily.

Issue

Question

Position

Afghanistan

What changes would you propose to the war policy in Afghanistan?

ANSWER OPTIONThe misguided and unnecessary war in Iraq has distracted our nation from the renewed threat from the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. While the recent increased attention and resources to Afghanistan represent an improvement in our policy, I have concerns that the United States and our allies will have to remain in Afghanistan for an extended period of time. We must not permit Afghanistan to become a haven for terrorist activity, but I am convinced that to win the war on terror, we must exercise greater U.S. leadership to promote a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

Iran

Do you believe there should be a military option for the U.S., to prevent Iran from developing or possessing nuclear weapons?

ANSWER OPTIONWhile the United Services should preserve a military option to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapon capability, it is imperative for our nation to exercise greater diplomatic efforts directly with Iran and in concert with our European and Middle Eastern allies.

Global warming

Which camp: Global warming or climate change?

ANSWER OPTIONI clearly recognize the global warming challenges that face our planet. To reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and to reduce greenhouse emissions, I support greater investment to promote renewable energy and alternative fuels. Clean, cost efficient, renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, hydropower, and hydrogen must be emphasized. I also authored legislation to install solar technology in federal buildings and to institute energy savings measures in all federal buildings. I supported the significant increase in auto fuel economy (CAFE) standards to reduce greenhouse emissions. We must also restore U.S. leadership in the global warming issue and work collaboratively with other nations to alleviate global warming.

Issue

Question

Position

Energy policy

What is your plan for meeting future energy needs?

ANSWER OPTIONWhile I support bipartisan legislation that would expand domestic oil and natural gas exploration, I recognize that we need to promote alternatives to fossil fuels to secure our future energy needs. The best energy and environmental approach is to promote conservation and energy efficiency (including investments in mass transit), and not to expect that we can simply drill our way to energy independence. I strongly support the promotion of biofuels made from non-food feedstock's like switch grass, algae and even waste products. I am encouraged that innovative developments in alternative and renewable fuel technologies will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make our nation energy independent.